Kakutoku Shita Omoide (Memories Acquired)
by I'm not ofreakingkay
Summary: AU. During the final battle against Kronos. This is my first story in First-Person Point of View, so bear with me. The summary is inside because it was too long to be here.
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Kronos has finally risen and is attacking Olympus with Luke as his vessel. Percy, Annabeth, Grover, and Thalia race against time to save their home. Meanwhile, somewhere on Earth forces previously believed to be faded are stirring, and a dark plan that will tip the scales of sanity will rise. Will Percy and his friends be able to fight against these forces? And what does our ever mischievous Mephisto Pheles have to do with this? Why does everyone suddenly start pointing crude fingers at Poseidon? And what does Kronos know what others don't? More importantly, why does Percy have a tail?

* * *

The bridge to Olympus was dissolving. Annabeth, Thalia, Grover, and I stepped out of the elevator of the Empire State Building that transported us to the six hundredth floor onto the white marble walkway, and immediately cracked at our feet.

"Jump!" Grover said, which was easy for him since he's part mountain goat.

He sprang to the next slab of stone while the others' slabs tilted sickeningly.

"Gods, I hate heights!" Thalia yelled as she and I leaped. But Annabeth was in no shape for jumping. She stumbled and yelled, "Percy!"

I caught her hand as the pavement fell, crumbling into dust. For a second I thought Annabeth was going to pull us both over. Her feet dangled in the open air. Her hand started to slip until he was holding her only by her fingers. Then Grover and Thalia grabbed my legs, and I found the extra strength to hoist her up. She was _not_ going to fall.

I pulled her up and they lay trembling on the pavement, not even realizing they had their arms around each other until Annabeth suddenly tensed.

"Um, thanks," she muttered.

I tried to say ' _Don't mention it'_ , but it came out as, "Uh duh".

"Keep moving!" Grover tugged my shoulder. We untangled themselves and sprinted across the sky ridge as more stones disintegrated and fell into oblivion. We made it to the edge of the mountain just as the final section collapsed.

Annabeth looked back at the elevator, which was now completely out of reach – a polished set of metal doors hanging in space, attached to nothing, six hundred stories above Manhattan.

"Were marooned," she said. "On our own."

"Blah-ha-ha!" Grover said. "The connection between Olympus and America is dissolving. If it fails-"

"The gods won't move on to another country this time," Thalia said. "This will be the end of Olympus. The _final_ end."

They ran through the streets. Mansions were burning. Statues had been hacked down. Trees in the parks were blasted to splinters. It looked like someone had attacked the city with a giant weed whacker.

"Kronos' scythe." I said, voice low.

We followed the winding path toward the palace of the gods. I didn't remember the road being so long. Maybe Kronos was making time go slower, or maybe it was just dread slowing him down. The whole mountaintop was in ruins – so many beautiful building and gardens gone.

A few minor gods and nature spirits had tried to stop Kronos. What remained of them was strewn about the road: shattered armor, ripped clothing, swords and spears broken in half.

Somewhere ahead of us, Kronos' voice roared: "Brick by brick! That was my promise. Tear it down BRICK BY BRICK!"

A white marble temple with a gold dome suddenly exploded. The dome shot up like a lid of a teapot and shattered into a billion pieces, raining rubble over the city.

"That was a shrine to Artemis," Thalia grumbled. "He'll pay for that."

We were running under the marble archway with the large statue of Zeus and Hera when the entire mountain groaned, rocking sideways like a boat in a storm.

"Look out!" Grover yelled. The archway crumbled. I looked up in time to see a twenty-ton scowling Hera topple over on us. Annabeth and I would've been flattened, but Thalia shoved us from behind and we landed just out of danger.

"Thalia!" Grover cried.

When the dust cleared and the mountain stopped rocking, we found her still alive, but her legs were pinned under the statue.

We tried desperately to move it, but it would've taken several Cyclopes. When we tried pulling Thalia out from under it, she yelled in pain.

"I survive all those battles," she growled, "and I get defeated by a stupid chunk of rock!"

"It's Hera," Annabeth said in outrage. "She's had it in for me all year. Her statue would've killed me if you hadn't pushed us away."

Thalia grimaced. "Well, don't just stand there! I'll be fine. Go!"

We didn't want to leave her, but I could hear Kronos laughing as he approached the hall of the gods. More buildings exploded.

"We'll be back," I promised.

"I'm not going anywhere," Thalia groaned.

A fireball erupted on the side of the mountain, right near the gates of the palace.

"We've got to run," I said.

"I don't suppose you mean away," Grover murmured hopefully.

I sprinted toward the palace, Annabeth right behind me.

"I was afraid of that," Grover sighed, and clip-clopped after us.

*line break*

The doors of the palace were big enough to steer a cruise ship through, but they'd been ripped off their hinges and smashed like they weighed nothing. We had to climb over a huge pile of broken stone and twisted metal to get inside.

Kronos stood in the middle of the throne room, his arms wide, staring at the starry ceiling as if taking it all in. His laughter echoed even louder than it had from the pit of Tartarus.

"Finally!" he bellowed. "The Olympian Council – so proud and mighty. Which seat of power shall I destroy first?"

Ethan Nakamura stood to one side, trying to stand out of the way of his master's scythe. The hearth was almost dead, just a few coals glowing deep in the ashes. Hestia was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Rachel. I hoped she was okay, but I'd seen so much destruction I was afraid to think about it. The Ophiataurus swam in his water sphere in the far corner of the room, wisely not making a sound, but it wouldn't be long before Kronos noticed him.

Annabeth, Grover, and I stepped forward in the torch light. Ethan saw us.

"My lord," He warned.

Kronos turned and smiled through Luke's face. Except for the golden eyes, he looked just the same as he had four years ago when he's welcomed me into the Hermes cabin. Annabeth made a painful sound in the back of her throat, like someone had just sucker punched her.

"Shall I destroy you first Jackson?" Kronos asked. "Is that the choice you will make – to fight me and die instead of bowing down? Prophesies never end well you know."

"Luke would fight with a sword," I said. "But I suppose you don't have his skill."

Kronos sneered. "He warned me about your tongue. You're known to have an itch for making your superiors angry." I wondered if he was talking about Luke, but deep in my gut, I had a feeling that he wasn't. I didn't linger on the topic any longer when Kronos' scythe began to change, until he held Luke's old weapon, Backbiter, with its half-Celestial bronze blade.

Next to me, Annabeth gasped like she'd suddenly had an idea. "Percy, the blade!" She unsheathed her knife. " _The hero's soul, cursed blade shall reap._ "

I didn't understand why she was reminding me of that prophesy line right now. It wasn't exactly a morale booster, but before I could say anything, Kronos raised his sword.

"Wait!" Annabeth yelled.

Kronos came at me like a whirlwind.

My instincts took over. I dodged and slashed and rolled, but I felt like I was fighting a hundred swords men. Ethan ducked to one side, trying to get behind me until Annabeth intercepted him. They started to fight, but I couldn't focus on how she was doing. I was vaguely aware of Grover playing his reed pipes. The sound filled me with warmth and courage – thoughts of sunlight and blue sky and a calm meadow, somewhere far away from the war.

Kronos backed me up against the throne of Hephaestus – a huge mechanical Lay-Z-Boy type thing covered with bronze and silver gears. Kronos slashed, and I managed to jump straight up onto the seat. The throne whirred and hummed with secret mechanisms. _'Defense mode,'_ it warned. _'Defense mode.'_

That couldn't be good. I jumped straight over Kronos' head as the throne shot tendrils of electricity in all directions. One hit Kronos in the face, arcing down his body and up his sword.

"ARG!" He crumpled to his knees and dropped Backbiter.

Annabeth saw her chance. She kicked Ethan out of the way and charged Kronos. "Luke, listen!"

I wanted to shout at her, to tell her she was crazy for trying to reason with Kronos, but there was no time. Kronos flicked his hand, sending Annabeth flying backward, slamming into the throne of her mother and crumpling to the floor.

"Annabeth!" I screamed. I felt something in me rapture and it gave off a tingling sensation before it went away, so I thought.

Ethan Nakamura got to his feet. He now stood between Annabeth and me. I couldn't fight him without turning my back on Kronos.

Grover's music took on a more urgent tune. He moved toward Annabeth, but he couldn't go any faster and keep up the song. Gras grew on the floor of the throne room. Tiny roots crept up between the cracks of the marble stones.

Kronos rose to one knee. His hair smoldered. His face was covered in electrical burns. He reached out for his sword, but this time it didn't fly into his hands.

"Nakamura!" he groaned. "Time to prove yourself. You know Jackson's secret weakness. Kill him, and you will have rewards beyond measure."

Ethan's eyes dropped to my midsection, and I was sure that he knew. Even if he couldn't kill me himself, all he had to do was tell Kronos. There was no way I could defend myself forever.

"Look around you, Ethan," I said. "The end of the world. Is this the reward you want? Do you really want everything destroyed – the good with the bad? _Everything?_ "

Grover was almost to Annabeth now. The grass thickened on the floor. The roots were almost a foot long, like a stubble of whiskers.

"There is no throne for Nemesis," Ethan muttered. "No throne for my mother."

"That's right!" Kronos tried to get up, but stumbled. Above his left ear, a patch of blond hair still smoldered. "Strike them down! They deserve to suffer!"

"You said your mom is the goddess of balance," I reminded him. "The minor gods deserve better, Ethan, but total destruction isn't _balance_. Kronos doesn't build. He only destroys."

Ethan looked at the sizzling throne of Hephaestus. Grover's music kept playing, and Ethan swayed to it, as if the song filling him with nostalgia – a wish to see a beautiful day, to be anywhere but here. His good eye blinked.

Then he charged…but not at me.

While Kronos was still on his knees, Ethan brought down his sword on the Titan lord's neck. It should have killed him instantly, but the blade shattered. Ethan fell back, grasping his stomach. A shard of his own blade had ricocheted and pierced his armor.

Kronos rose unsteadily, towering over his servant. "Treason," he snarled.

Grover's music kept playing, and grass grew around Ethan's body. Ethan stared at me, his face tight with pain.

"Deserve better," he gasped. "If they just…had thrones-"

Kronos stomped his foot, and the floor ruptured around Ethan Nakamura. The son of Nemesis fell through a fissure that went straight through the heart of the mountain – straight into the air.

"So much for him," Kronos picked up his sword. "And now for the rest of you."

* * *

My only thought was to keep him away from Annabeth.

Grover was at her side now. He'd stopped playing and was feeding her ambrosia.

Everywhere Kronos stepped, the roots wrapped around his feet. Grover had stopped his magic too early. The roots weren't thick or strong enough to do much more than annoy the Titan.

We fought through the hearth, kicking up coals and sparks. Kronos slashed an armrest off of the throne of Ares, which was okay by me, but then he backed me up to my dad's throne.

"Oh, yes," Kronos said. "This one will make fine kindling for my new hearth!"

Our blades clashed in a shower of sparks. He was stronger than me, but for the moment I felt the power of the ocean in my arms. I pushed his back and struck again – sashing Riptide across his breastplate so hard I cut a gash in the Celestial bronze. He stamped his foot again and time slowed. I tried to attack but I was moving at the speed of a glacier. Kronos backed up leisurely, catching his breath. He examined the gash in his armor while I struggled forward, silently cursing him. He could take all the time-outs he wanted. He could freeze me in place at will. My only hope was that the effort was draining him. If I could wear him down…

"When he said you were strong, he wasn't bluffing, but you're weak in this body, my boy." Kronos said. He lifted his golden eyes to meet mine. A smirk slowly grew on his face. "I don't know why he had come to me in the first place, or what his intentions are, but they seem to be in my benefit." At this point Percy was more than confused. Kronos began to circle Percy, like a predator telling it's pray that there was no escape while said predator evaluated its next meal. "A fine boy you've grown up to be, Percy Jackson. Well, that's not even your name."

Kronos raised a hand and placed it gently on Percy's cheek. Percy would have tried biting it off if he hadn't been frozen in time. "Funny, I haven't seen your kin in eons. Kings and their subjects usually choose to reside in Gehenna. The Kings themselves are even more withdrawn from our affairs, but it seems that you were able to find your way here, little one." Percy didn't know what Gehenna was, nor did he know who these kings and subjects were. Last time he checked, America was a democratic-republic. There was no monarchy here other than the gods themselves.

"No matter, a deal is a deal." Now is when it started to get strange, Kronos stepped back. He held out his arm and a large, watery human heart the size of a soccer ball materialized two inches over his left hand. Percy felt that strange sensation return to him, but this time it was on a much stronger scale. Kronos grinned with malicious intent before shoving the heart into my chest cavity. It fazed right through with no problem. Kronos jumped back ten feet before dropping the time spell. I was finally able to move, but the moment I was going to charge at him, pain flared in my chest and body like I've never felt before.

I felt every cell in my body burn. I felt my bones form a new limb and my head grow horns like a water buffalo. I felt my fingernails extend to form talon-like claws and my canines sharpen. My ears were also becoming elf-like. I fell to my knees and shouted in pain, the agony being too much to bare, but I held on. I don't know why, but I held on. Maybe it was my self-preservation instincts taking in, or my need to keep everyone I care about safe from Kronos, but I held on to my consciousness.

I could faintly hear the Titan lord laughing in the background, and claiming how he had just "released the ultimate beast onto Olympus. A beast that even Typhon couldn't light a candle to!" but I wasn't listening.

A rumbling growl emerged from the back of my throat when the pain stopped, but whatever Kronos had done to me wasn't finished. I was suddenly throne back into memory lane, but I didn't remember ever having these memories.

 _There was a palace under water; far from Atlantis. A small kingdom that resided in the deepest waters of the Earth. In the palace, resided a man clad in teal colored armor, and a naginata. The naginata was completely black, with its blade being sleek on one side, and jagged on the other. On the flat of the blade, there was a golden sea serpent engraved onto the metal. The weapon was, in essence, beautiful in its cruelty._

 _The man that sat on a throne of bronze with the heads of deceased sea creatures mixed in here and there. He was clearly tall, almost towering at six feet. His black hair, like wispy shadows, floated in the water around his head and horns. The man's eyes were like raging maelstroms, blue and green like the sea in a storm. Skin like alabaster, it showed great contrast with his eyes and hair, but suited him well either way._

 _The large doors facing the man's throne was blown open, and in came a small horde of sea monsters that Percy recognized belonged to Greek mythology. He remembered seeing them when he went to Poseidon that one time Oceanus was attacking._

 _The man scowled at the intruders, and growled at one that swam closer, brandishing its sword with an arrogant air. "Who are you?"_

 _The sea creature, who was clad in celestial bronze armor, looked like one of the telekines. "We are the army of the Titan Oceanus. He has deemed you unworthy of ruling the seas alongside him, Demon King of Water."_

 _The demon's growls became feral before he grabbed his naginata and attacked the monsters._

The memory ended and shifted to another.

 _The demon was in an old, weathered cell. He wore bloody and tattered rags with his tail laying limp on the floor with patches of fur missing and the once smooth tail was now crusty and matted with blood. The demon's arms were chained to the wall parallel to the iron bars, and his head was limp against his chest. Around him was a circle filled with intricate runes and designs that glowed white in the darkness of the cell._

 _There was a boom followed by a cry of pain. The sound of yelling could be heard. The demon, startled awake when the sound of an avalanche came, gasped when the iron bars were blasted open by a strange green light._

 _A man in an Ancient Greek general's uniform burst in with someone the demon seemed to recognize. "Isamu…" the demon croaked._

 _Isamu – an octopus faced, blue skinned demon with a light hanging over his head like an anglerfish– ran forward when he heard the demon say his name. "Egyn-sama!" He ordered the other man to break the seal then grabbed at the now christened Egyn's chains and yanked hard, breaking them in an instant. "We must leave this instant! Oceanus' forces are being held off by Poseidon's armies."_

 _Egyn's eyes were unfocussed as they began to walk towards the exit, his weight being supported by Isamu. "Poseidon…why is that annoying Sea God helping?"_

 _The man that accompanied Isamu frowned at Egyn's question, clearly offended by his lord being called an annoyance. "It would seem that your people and Lord Poseidon had a common goal."_

 _Egyn lazily turned his head towards the man. "Really? And who might you be?"_

 _The man's back straightened as if he was going to announce something important. "I am Triton, first in line for my father's throne. Your forces and ours have joined together in hopes of defeating Oceanus. My father promised that he would do whatever it takes to help free you, only if your men agreed to fight with him."_

 _Egyn grunted, and turned his head towards his most trusted general. "Let me guess, you made that decision."_

 _Isamu grinned, "Why of course, Egyn-sama! I wasn't going to let you rot in a cell for the rest of eternity! The other Baal would have started their own war if it meant getting you back. Gehenna knows how much destruction would ensue if all seven of them joined forces."_

 _Egyn chuckled, shaking his head. "Typical of you to take my place when I'm gone. If it were anyone else, I would have hung them by their necks with their intestines as a noose."_

 _Triton shivered, the mental image slowly edging itself into his psyche. "Lovely, but I do believe we should get going." He said._

 _Isamu nodded, and addressed Egyn, "Can you walk?"_

 _Egyn tried to take a few steps, but hissed as pain flared up in his left leg. "No, that seal has blocked my healing abilities. It will take time for them to come back."_

 _"_ _That is fine, I will have to carry you until we reach the escape point."_

 _It was clearly a blow to Egyn's pride, but he nodded anyways. Isamu picked him up bridal style and ran through the exit of the dungeon, out of the building surrounded by trees a few miles from the beach shore, back into the ocean where Oceanus' kingdom resides, and through the crowded streets of Oceanus' kingdom towards the back of the castle. The trio had to evade fighting soldiers and the city guards. There were some instances where they were nearly found out, but they escaped nonetheless._

 _Currently, the two active men swam through the coral reef behind the palace. There, waiting at the exit was a light blue-skinned merman wearing armor similar to Triton's but not as extravagant beckoning them forward. "Come! Follow me! Hurry!"_

 _They did so, following the merman until they reached a campsite hidden from the Titan's kingdom miles away. Triton told Isamu to enter a large tent that Egyn recognized as a medical tent. Triton directed Isamu to gently lay Egyn down on one of the cots in the more secluded area of the tent._

 _"_ _There we go, safe and sound Egyn-sama," Isamu said with a soft smile as he sat on a pillow next to the cot._

 _"_ _Oh, shut it, Isamu-kun," Egyn said as he gave his long time general and friend a half-hearted glare._

 _Isamu chuckled at the Demon King's antics, but frowned when he remembered he had to tell his King what happened to their kingdom. His playful aura switched to serious in an instant, "Egyn-sama," Egyn gazed at his general with a frown. Isamu usually wasn't very serious, and if he was, then it meant something bad had happened. "It pains me to say this to you right after you were freed, but the kingdom was left in ruins. Only a few hundred of your subjects survived the attack. Most of them consisting of Reapers, krakens, and a few middle-class demons."_

 _Egyn let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in, and buried himself deeper into the cot. "I see, and the ones that were left are now fighting a battle that would most likely be their last."_

 _Isamu remained silent, but there was a sadness in his eyes that confirmed Egyn's suspicions. "They were ready to fight any battle if it meant getting you back. I did not force them to fight, they were completely willing. Every last one of them."_

 _"_ _Very well, when this is over, we will have to rebuild the city. At least enough to provide homage to the ones that remain. I believe their efforts should be rewarded, don't you agree?" Egyn grinned a soft grin, showing the tips of his fangs._

 _"_ _I agree completely, Egyn-sama," Isamu stood up. "Rest now, heal your wounds, the battle will be over soon."_

 _Egyn's eyebrows furrowed, "Where are you going?"_

 _"_ _To speak with Triton. We were planning to call back your forces when we know they can take care of the rest."_

This is where the memory ended, and I gasped once more when another appeared.

 _It was a few years after the war with Oceanus. Egyn and his subjects had worked to rebuild his kingdom with the assistance of Poseidon and his subjects as a thank you for their assistance in the Ocean Titan's defeat._

 _Currently, Egyn and Isamu were walking through the newly rebuilt city of_ _Fukai machi – Egyn's favorite place to be whenever he wanted to take a break. The city was not as extravagant as its original, but it was beautiful nonetheless. The streets were tiled, and the buildings were different colors that lit up in the darkness of the Mariana Trench. Fish that used bioluminescence to survive gave the city a lively glow – even though the creatures were hideous in more ways than one; Egyn adored them anyways._

 _"…_ _We also need to finish rebuilding the palace…Egyn-sama are you even listening?" The Baal of Water turned his head towards an annoyed Isamu._

 _"_ _What?"_

 _Isamu sighed, pinching the bridge of his nearly-nonexistent-nose as the two continued walking through the streets. "Never mind."_

 _"_ _Sorry, I zoned out for a bit." Egyn smiled sheepishly._

 _Isamu raised the place where his left eyebrow should be. "Leave it to the fifth Baal to zone out in the middle of an important update regarding the reconstruction of his kingdom." He joked._

 _"_ _Oh, don't look at me like that, Isamu-kun, I was merely enjoying taking a stroll through the city. You should do the same."_

 _"_ _I will when you have a proper place to rest befitting a Demon King. The only place in your kingdom not repaired is your palace, and that is because you refuse to allow its construction until the rest of the city is done."_

 _"_ _Yes, and that is because I would rather my subjects be rewarded for their efforts when I failed them the first time. I will not rest in a comfortable bed until they have their own. As their King, it would be wrong for me to do otherwise." Egyn declared, back straight, and hands behind his back. His eyes held a challenging glare directed at his general, daring Isamu to protest._

 _The octopus-faced general grinned at his King, pride flooded his chest when he was reminded of why Egyn was regarded as the more caring of the Baal. Granted, he was just as cruel and twisted when he needed to be._

 _"_ _Of course, Egyn-sama," Isamu bowed in respect to the demon before him. "I apologize if I offended you."_

 _Egyn's eyes softened, and he placed his hand on his friend's shoulder beaconing him to stand tall once more. "You have not offended me, Isamu-kun, but remember that I will always hold my subjects first. I am not like my siblings, and I am nothing like my father. I will never treat my kin like the sand I walk on, and neither will I forget that they, too, live and breathe like we do."_

Then the memories ended. I opened my eyes, feeling a rush of overwhelming power return to me after so long. I then felt a weight on my shoulder. Snapping my head to the left, I saw Kronos smiling wickedly with his hand on my shoulder.

"You alright there? You look pale grandson. Have you fallen ill?" There were no traces of true concern. Kronos was simply mocking me. Bastard.

I slapped Kronos' hand away, and grabbed Riptide, and stood up from my position on the floor. I took a second to glance towards Grover and Annabeth. Right now Grover was helping Annabeth stand, but the two were looking towards me with worry and curiosity.

I bared my fangs at Kronos, "Get away from me."

Kronos mocked being hurt by my words. He placed his hands over his heart and looked away dramatically. "Egyn, you wound me! I gave back to you what was rightfully yours and you treat me like scum?" He dropped the act and smiled coldly. "But I digress. Now that you are back, I can finally take over Olympus and send my children to their great-uncle."

I glared at him, "What makes you think I'm willing to help you? You are nothing but a thorn in my side. What makes you thing that I won't just get rid of you? I have that power, and you know it."

He laughed comically, "Oh, my dear boy, you are so clueless. I wouldn't have gifted you with the power you have now without knowing you would retaliate. Which is why I came up with the perfect plan!" His eyes slowly moved towards Grover and Annabeth.

I followed his train of vision and my growls became feral. "You wouldn't dare."

Kronos disappeared and reappeared a few feet away from them. He stomped his foot and the ground collapsed under Annabeth and Grover's feet, but they didn't fall. They seemed to be frozen in place. Kronos chuckled, "Oh yes I would, and if you want them alive, then you will do everything I say. Now, drop your weapon."

I cursed under my breath. This was planned. This was all planned. The statue, the battle, who was going to end up fighting Kronos, my memories, and my loved ones being in danger. Kronos was going to pay with his life. _No one_ tricks me without their corpse torn to pieces!

I then chose this moment to lower myself to the ground and drop Riptide. I would need to look less threatening to allow Grover and Annabeth's chances of living seem better than they looked. I would _not_ be the reason they died. Their deaths would be when they aged beyond the expected lifespans of demigods and nature spirits. In other words, not today.

Once I dropped Riptide, I raised my hands in surrender and kicked the sword in the Titan lord's direction. All done with a scowl on my face.

Kronos' smile was wicked, "Good, good. Now, sit and behold!" Kronos' laughing was evil. Much like my father's, just less insane. Kronos then pointed to the hearth, and the coals glowed. A sheet of white smoke poured from the fire, forming images like an Iris-message. I saw Nico and my parents…er…Sally and Paul down on Fifth Avenue, fighting a hopeless battle, ringed in enemies. In the background Hades fought from his black chariot, summoning wave after wave of zombies out of the ground, but the forces of the Titan's army seemed just as endless. Meanwhile, Manhattan was destroyed. Mortals, now fully awake were running around in terror. Cars swerved and crashed.

The scene shifted, and I saw something even more terrifying.

A column of smoke was approaching the Hudson River, moving rapidly over the Jersey shore. Chariots circled it, locked in combat with the creature in the cloud.

The gods attacked. Lightning flashed. Arrows of gold and silver streaked into the cloud like rocket tracers and exploded. Slowly, the cloud ripped apart, and I saw Typhon clearly for the first time.

I knew for as long as I lived, Typhon's visage would be forever ingrained in my head. It was a strange sight. Every moment he was a different monster, each more horrible and disgusting than the last. Looking at his face would have driven any human insane. His body was humanoid, but his skin reminded me of a meatloaf sandwich that had been in someone's locker all year. He was mottled green, with blisters the size of buildings, and blackened patches from eons of being stuck under a volcano. His hands were human, but with talons like an eagle's, and his legs were scaly and reptilian.

"The Olympians are giving their final effort." Kronos laughed. "How pathetic." And he was right, they did look pathetic.

Zeus threw his lightning bolt from his chariot. The blast lit up the world. I could feel the shock even from here on Olympus, but when the dust cleared, Typhon was still standing. He staggered a bit, with a smoking crate on top of his misshapen hand, but he roared in anger and kept advancing.

I saw Annabeth's limbs move slightly. Kronos didn't seem to notice. His attention was focused on the fight and his final victory. If I could hold out a few seconds more, and if Poseidon kept his word…

Typhon stepped into the Hudson River and barely sank to midcalf.

Now, I thought, imploring the image of the smoke. _'It has to happen now'_

Like a miracle, a conch horn sounded from the smoky picture. The call of the ocean. The call of Poseidon.

All around Typhon, the Hudson River erupted, churning with forty-foot waves. Out of the water burst a new chariot – this one pulled by massive hippocampi, who swam in the air as easily as in water. The one who I believed was my father these past few years, glowing with a blue aura of power, rode a defiant circle around the giant's legs. Poseidon was no longer an old man. He looked like himself again – tan and strong with a black beard. As he swung his trident, the river responded, making a funnel cloud around the monster.

"No!" Kronos bellowed after a moment of stunned silence. "NO!"

"NOW MY BRETHREN!" Poseidon's voice was so loud I wasn't sure if I was hearing it from the smoke image or from all the way across town. "STRIKE FOR OLYMPUS!"

Warriors burst out of the river, riding the waves on huge sharks and dragons and sea horses. It was a legion of Cyclops, and leading them into battle was Tyson.

I stared on in amazement. He'd magically grown in size. He had to be thirty feet tall, as big as any of his older cousins, and for the first time he was wearing full battle armor. Riding behind him was Briares, the Hundred-Handed One.

All the Cyclopes held huge lengths of black iron chains – big enough to anchor a battleship – with grappling hooks at the ends. They swung them like lassos and began to ensnare Typhon, throwing lines around the creature's legs and arms, using the tide to keep circling, slowly tangling him. Typhon shook and roared and yanked at the chains, pulling some of the Cyclopes of their mounts; but there were too many chains. The sheer weight of the Cyclops battalion began to weigh Typhon down. Poseidon threw his trident and impaled the monster in the throat. Golden blood, immortal ichor, spewed from the wound, making a waterfall taller than a skyscraper. The trident flew back to Poseidon's hand.

The other gods struck with renewed force. Ares rode in and stabbed Typhon in the nose. Artemis shot the monster in the eye with a dozen silver arrows. Apollo shot a blazing volley of arrows and set the monster's loincloth on fire. And Zeus kept pounding the giant with lightning, until finally, slowly, the water rose, wrapping Typhon like a cocoon, and he began to sink under the weight of the chains (I made sure to boost the speed a little, helping Poseidon as directly as possible without drawing attention to myself). Typhon bellowed in agony, thrashing with such force that waves sloshed against the Jersey shore, soaking five-story buildings and splashing over the George Washington Bridge – but don he went as the sea god opened a special tunnel for him at the bottom of the river – an endless waterslide that would take him straight to Tartarus. The giant's head went under a seething whirlpool, and he was gone.

"BAH!" Kronos screamed. He appeared beside the hearth and slashed his sword through the smoke, tearing the image to shreds.

"They're on their way," I said, making sure to add a chuckle just to anger him further. "You've lost."

"I haven't even started."

He advanced with blinding speed towards Grover and Annabeth. Kronos snatched them away from the hole and landed a few feet behind it. He put his sword around the satyr's neck and a dagger around the demigod's – who were now free from the time spell. "Destroy the thrones," Kronos commanded.

I glared at him, baring my fangs menacingly. "No."

Kronos laughed, "Is that so?" he brought the sword closer to Grover's neck, drawing blood. It was just a scratch, but I saw red. How dare this insolent _child_ command me to do his bidding? No demon in Gehenna would ever _dare_ insult a Demon King by using their loved ones as leverage. Satan would have burned them to ashes for doing something so _cowardly_ , laughing as they were slowly consumed by the cerulean flames of the Lord of Gehenna.

I crouched low, tail flapping from side to side dangerously. A low guttural growl escaped from my throat. My demonic instincts were taking over, wishing to see the blood in his body spill onto the marble, and hear his screams and begs to be left alone. I felt my pupils slit, and my teeth and claws get sharper. My friends' fearful eyes only enhanced my rage. They should not be scared. Grover should be chewing a can of soda while on a date with Juniper, and Annabeth should be in camp with the rest of the demigods enjoying the summer. Not with death at their doorstep. The scent of urine and blood reached my senses, and I would have lost it if Grover and Annabeth weren't still capable of dying any second now.

Kronos seemed to realize this. His expression of amusement became manic glee as he came to the realization that I wasn't going to do anything more than threaten his sickening life. "Are you done? Goodness Egyn, you're such a riot. You even made the satyr piss himself, and the girl is now frozen in fear. The poor things." Kronos sniffed, and grimaced at the scent, but didn't dare let go of Grover. He knew better than to lose his trump cards.

"Let them go, _boy_ ," I spat boy like it was the most disgraceful thing in the universe.

"If I did that, then you wouldn't listen anymore."

"I wasn't going to listen to a coward who hides behind his minions, and uses prey as leverage. They are simply food for my kin," My voice changed, becoming more animalistic and deep. "I will not lower myself to listen to someone so weak minded. Only a coward would use such a foolish tactic while a real warrior fights to the death."

Kronos shouted. In his rage, he didn't think about killing Grover and Annabeth on the spot – which I mentally thanked every god and goddess for – choosing more to launch them across the room into separate thrones, thankfully knocking them unconscious.

Kronos' advance was quick, but my senses were quicker. When his sword was inches away from my neck, I jumped away, making a small crater appear in the marble. While in midair, I maneuvered myself like a professional gymnast and landed back on my feet in a crouch. I launched towards him with speeds he didn't expect me to reach and slashed at him. Of course, he was able to break out of his moment of surprise and dodge half a second before I could gauge his eyes out with my nails. Which was unfortunate because I wanted to see them gone. They were not Luke's, and it was insulting to see them on the young son of Hermes' face. Even though the boy was a traitor to Olympus, and by extension me, he had a reasonable enough reason to resent his family. Of course, he didn't take into consideration that Kronos would do nothing good. Because of this, I kind of don't hate him as much as I already do. After all, I can kind of relate.

We exchanged blows. Neither of us hitting the other, but I couldn't say the same for the throne room itself. The walls and floor were cracked and small craters appeared here and there. The thrones were also slightly damaged, but I tried my best to stay away from them as much as possible. But it seemed that Kronos and I have made a silent agreement – Ares' throne was the exception. The war god's throne of human skin and weapons was littered in scratches and the left armrest was gone.

The battle escalated to the point that I had redrawn Riptide and began using my awesome sword skills on the Titan. I made a little game in my head. It was called, "How Many Hits can the Achilles Curse Take before It Can No Longer Support the Damage?" So far, I had been unsuccessful at breaching his flesh, but the same could not be said for his armor. The once well suited Celestial bronze armor was now cut into ribbons. My claws had torn the metal like wet paper, and Riptide had cut through one of Kronos' shoulder straps, making the breast plate hang awkwardly on his chest.

We were so caught up in our little battle that we didn't notice the Olympians bursting through the doors of the throne room in all their godly glory. If I had noticed their entrance, I would have seen the looks of complete awe and horror on each of their faces. Poor, poor Ares looked like he was going to punch someone at the sight of his throne.

Kronos and I continued fighting, destroying the throne room further before we were suddenly teleported outside of the Empire State Building. Kronos and I noticed the change in scenery and stopped for a moment to realize that we were no longer in the throne room.

I believe it was obvious that he was angry because he began yelling at the gods for interfering with his plans.

Well, tuff cookie. We're not done yet.

I slashed my claws at his side with enough force to make him fly and crash against another building. The building then collapsed on itself, burying the Titan within – serves him right for "forgetting" that we were still in combat. How rude!

It didn't take him long to push some of the debris off and escape, but I took that opportunity to attack him again. He had just unearthed himself from the building's remains when I appeared in front of him, grabbed him by the back of the head, and smashed his face into the paved ground. I repeated the process of lifting and smashing a couple of times before deciding to pull a Hulk. I threw him up, grabbed him by the ankles before he could go any higher, and began to repeatedly smash his upper body into the street. The force of each impact made indentions in the ground. After that, I threw him up thirty or so feet in the air, jumped up high enough to be above him, then then used the laws of gravity against him by kicking him with my heel hard against his exposed chest.

You know what they say: What goes up must come down. And come down he did. Of course, faster than any normal person would when falling. And with _much_ more force.

Apparently, I like making craters. Especially the ones I make by using Kronos as a combat dummy. Oh, those are my _favorite._

I made more, and more, and _more_! Oh what fun! Is this what Amaimon was always rambling about? Oh, when we see each other again I'll make sure to tell him! We'll have so much fun. I can already imagine it! We'll even have a competition on who can make more craters using the bodies of others! Oh, what a great idea!

"Percy!"

What was that? Does someone want to make craters with me?

"Perseus stop!"

Apparently not… What a pity, we would have had so much fun.

"Percy! Stop! That's enough! You're destroying the city!"

Percy? Who's Percy? I'm Egyn. Maybe they need my help to stop this Percy from destroying the city? I won't be able to make any proper craters if the city is gone.

I was just about to beat Kronos' face into the ground when I felt someone come up from behind me and wrap their arms around my chest. I heard the sound of crying. Then there was a wetness on the back of my shirt. Who _dared_ to disturb my game?

"Percy! Stop, _please!"_

I know that voice, but from where? Is it Kronos? No, his is not as annoying. And he shouldn't be able to speak after I completely dislocated his jaw. Then who is it? Goodness, this is frustrating!

"Percy, stop! This isn't you!"

This isn't me? Well, I beg to differ, young lady! This is me! I've always been like this…right?

This is when I began to doubt myself. How strange, I've never doubted myself before. The only times I've ever felt like I was wrong was when…Beckendorf…died…The dip in the Styx…rallying the demigods to save Olympus…

I suddenly snapped back into reality. My rage induced insanity was stopped, and I had finally realized what I was doing. Oh gods…

Whatever was left of New York near the Empire State Building was in complete ruins. Apartments, shops, other buildings, they were all just rubble now. There were craters everywhere ranging from large and small. The Empire State Building itself had a large hole in one of the walls, and Kronos was a foot in the ground under me. There were cuts and bruises, and there were cable wires littered around us, dangerously close to piddles of dirty water.

I slowly turned my head to look at Annabeth. She was clutching on to me for dear life while crying into my shirt. My tail was only a centimeter away from being squashed under her leg, but I didn't dare move it.

We were by a cable, and we were also conveniently on a puddle. Crap.

"Annabeth," I whispered.

She heard me, and immediately lifted her head up to look at me. Her grey eyes were bloodshot, and her hair was a mess. There were brown streaks in her hair from dried blood and dirt, and her armor was loose as it hanged from her right shoulder. She had small amounts of fear and worry in her stormy eyes, and that hurt me. That's right, me, Egyn, Demon King of Water, Fifth of the Baal, was hurt that a girl was scared of me.

"Annabeth, I'm sorry…" I croaked. I must have been laughing while a beat Kronos to a pulp because my throat was dry and my voice was hoarse. I lifted my hand and reached for her cheek, but she shook her head and backed away. This hurt me even more. I took notice of the others. The Olympians and their children that were nearby were standing away from me with looks of fear and mistrust.

Poseidon looked like he finally realized something. His eyes widened to saucers and he took a step back in surprise. "Egyn?" My eyes snapped to him and I gave him a small smile. He beamed in elation but frowned in confusion. Must be because I was in his "son's" body.

There was a groan. I turned back to see Kronos open his eyes through Luke. When he realized that I was there, his eyes flashed with fear before changing to hatred which then changed into excitement when Luke's body began to glow golden. He laughed, and kicked me off of him before I could dodge. I landed on my feet five feet in front of Hera. Kronos laughed even harder as he stood up. "Yes! YES! BEHOLD MY TRUE FORM!" The gods used their split second thinking to teleport the demigods away before Luke's body burst with light, obliterating every last bit of the son of Hermes' body. Kronos' laughs became deeper and held a more ancient baritone. "BOW BEFORE MY TRUE POWER, DEMON KING!" I had to look away for a moment because of the light's sheer brilliance. It was too bright. I only know one person who would be able to make something so bright, and the blond Demon King was not here.

I could withstand the light because of my eldest brother, but it still hurt to look at. I was just about to attack when a very annoying, very familiar voice greeted us. "Guten Tag, meine Damen und Herren!" I looked up in the sky to see Samael in all his clowney glory floating down while clutching his pink umbrella-bat. The dark purple haired demon was wearing an elegant white outfit that consists of a white top hat with pink and purple around the base, purple gloves, a tie that is pink with white dots, a white suit-shirt and undershirt, jester-style pants, and pointed shoes. "Oh, my. It is awfully bright outside." He turned towards me with his hand hovering over his eyes and beamed. "Otouto! You're back!" He swung his umbrella in circles as he casually sauntered his way towards me with a smile on his face. "Were have you been for the past sixteen years? Our father and brothers have been worried sick!"

My hand was over my eyes with my head slightly turned as I tried to look at Samael's approaching silhouette. "I highly doubt the old sot even noticed I was gone."

Samael whacked my head with the umbrella right behind my horns, "Nonsense! He missed you. Amaimon wouldn't stop complaining about father's sulking."

I clutched the back of my head. My face scrunched up in pain at the force used to whack me. I was fortunate enough to not go face first into the dirt and pavement. "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!" I would have growled at my brother, but he crouched right next to me and pat my head with a small, genuine smile. His green droopy eyes, were filled with relief.

"It's good to have you back, Nii-san."

I grumbled at him for being so annoying but smiled anyways. "Missed you too, Aniki." But the moment was broken when Kronos chose this time to be when he yelled at us.

"Why are you here?" he yelled. "Don't interrupt!"

Samael glared at the glowing Titan. Kronos was no longer in Luke's body, but he had his own. He was a tall male towering at about eight feet with jet black hair and golden highlights. His eyes were pure 12 karat gold filled with malice while his skin was tanned – being illuminated by his divine form. He was wearing a white chiton with golden armor for his chest, knees, and arms. Backbiter was also in its scythe form again. "Silence! The deal was you return my brother unharmed and immediately after his memories were returned. You only completed one-thirds of the deal, so I have every right to intervene."

Kronos growled, glaring at Samael with visible hatred. "You will regret this!"

"No, _you,_ on the other hand, will have wished you completed the deal without interruption you cheap knock off of a time lord." Sam stood back up and raised his umbrella, waving it around in circles above him while counting to three in German. A giant flaming pentacle appeared in the air creating lightning as it hovers. Samael stopped waving his umbrella and the pentacle zoomed over to Kronos until it was hovering directly over him. Samael smiled wickedly. "This pentacle will be your demise, Titan. Enjoy your voyage in a never ending loop through time and space!" He waved goodbye to Kronos before the pentacle shot a beam of flames at Kronos.

Kronos yelled in agony as his essence was burned away and his golden dust forever in stasis throughout the universe.

Samael dusted his hands and plopped himself onto the ground next to me, smiling in good nature. "So, Nii-san, how have you been?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **Previously:**

 _Kronos growled, glaring at Samael with visible hatred. "You will regret this!"_

 _"_ _No, I won't. You, on the other hand, will have wished you completed the deal without interruption your cheap knock off of a time lord." Sam stood back up and raised his umbrella, waving it around in circles above him while counting to three in German. A giant flaming pentacle appeared in the air creating lightning as it hovers. Samael stopped waving his umbrella and the pentacle zoomed over to Kronos until it was hovering directly over him. Samael smiled wickedly. "This pentacle will be your demise, Titan. Enjoy your voyage in a never ending loop through time and space!" He waved goodbye to Kronos before the pentacle shot a beam of flames at Kronos._

 _Kronos yelled in agony as his essence was burned away and his golden dust forever in stasis throughout the universe._

 _Samael dusted his hands and plopped himself onto the ground next to me, smiling in good nature. "So, Nii-san, how have you been?"_

 **Now:**

I stared at Samael dumbly. His usually mischievous and mysterious attitude was replaced by genuine concern. His droopy eyes looked tired, and his _'I'm always five-hundred steps ahead of you'_ smile was no longer there. Heck, Sammy would _never_ bother to ask someone how they feel. He was just that cold-hearted to not care unless you were vital to his plans. But this was true _concern,_ and _worry_ for me. There was a foreign feeling deep in my gut, and I knew my brother was serious with his question. He actually wanted to _know_ how I've been.

I returned the smile, and hugged his shoulder with one arm (this shocked him a little), "I've been well, Aniki."

He chuckled, "That's a relief."

Someone behind us cleared their throat, "Ahem, sorry to disturb this little moment, but can someone _please_ explain what the Hades is happening?" I turned my head to see Apollo with his arms cross and foot tapping impatiently. "Also, who's the clown and why does Percy look like that?" He asked the last question to Poseidon – who everyone didn't miss saying my name when Kronos was there. "Care to share, Uncle P? You seem to know something we don't."

Samael sighed and stood up, helping me up in the process. "I believe I speak for everyone when I say we're all exhausted. Why don't we continue with the questioning after everyone is taken care of?"

Zeus looked at him wearily but agreed. He gave the order for everyone to return to Olympus and help treat the wounded and count the deceased. "You two," he said, pointing at me and Sam. "Will be staying on Olympus until all of this is cleared up. Am I understood?"

I nodded, too tired to really speak anymore, while Samael just gave Zeus a mischievous grin followed by a dramatic display of bowing and "Yes, mi 'lord's". What a kiss-ass.

We were teleported back to Olympus. Everyone was forced to huddle in Apollo's temple, as it was the only medical facility available that was conveniently not destroyed. Samael had volunteered in helping fix the throne room for later while I was told to stay in the temple.

Right now I was sitting in a chair between Grover and Annabeth's sleeping forms. I leaned forward with my hands folded. My elbows resting on each thigh as I stared blankly at the polished grid floor. I listened to my friends breathing patterns, letting my mind recede to the back of my consciousness.

Today had been hectic. The war. The chaos. My memories. Heck, even Sam showing up was unexpected. Now I'm back on Olympus waiting for what would be inevitable. Whether the Greeks choose to accept or shun me is their decision, alone. I'll accept either. But the looks on their faces when they saw the havoc I caused, and Annabeth's and Grover's reactions when I showed my true colors, they hurt. They really did. But I guess I can understand how they feel…

I might have done the same if I were in their place. Seeing a close friend who I'd trusted, and who I'd thought I'd known turn into a demon before my eyes. I would probably be terrified, too. Maybe not. Probably more betrayed than afraid if I didn't fully understand their reasoning for hiding. But I wasn't hiding! Why am I even thinking about this? This, this nonsense! I'm me! That's all! Why should I feel hurt that they don't accept me for me? _WHY?_

My ear twitched at the sound of the curtain separating the beds move. I quickly lifted my head to see who was intruding in my inner monolog.

It was Poseidon. The old sea god looked tired. His eyes were slightly baggy and his smile was half-hearted. I just watched as he pulled up a wooden chair from the far corner and sat in front of me. He sat backward with his arms crossed resting on the top of the backrest. "Hello." He said, voice low so that he wouldn't disturb the children's sleep.

I responded just as quietly, "Hi."

He frowned, "I never thought you would have been stowing away in my son's body, Egyn."

I glared at him, "I wasn't stowing away, and neither do I know why I'm here." My eyes dropped to the floor, narrowing at my feet. "My memories and powers may have returned, but I feel like there's something missing. Something important. Whatever it is, it must be the reason I'm in this mess."

He leaned closer. The wooden chair creaked at the movement. "Do you think it was Oceanus?"

I chuckled, "Most definitely. He's had it in for me since the moment he lay eyes on me. The little brat wouldn't stop glaring at me when my father, brothers, and I came to Orthrys for a peace treaty with Ouranos."

Poseidon's eyebrows furrowed. "But he can't have been able to seal you away. Not without the help of others. The Titans aren't a proper match for your kind."

"No, he had help. I'm sure of it. Probably had some help from his siblings. Shit, I'd even expect the Earth Bitch to be helping him. She and I never did like each other, either."

Poseidon snickered under his breath, "What did you do for them to hate you so much?"

I gaped at him, "Nothing!" Grover shifted in his bed, so I lowered my voice. "I didn't _do_ anything."

"Well, you did _something_ to piss them off."

"No, I didn't." I ground out. I stopped and shook my head. "Whatever. What are you doing here anyway?"

He leaned back and looked at the ceiling. "Oh, you know, just making sure everyone's alright."

I gave him a deadpan stare. "I call bullshit."

He gave me a side glare, "It's not bullshit. Far from it, actually. But I came here to make sure you were doing alright. You'd be insane to not be overwhelmed by all this." I raised a judgmental eyebrow at him. "Okay, maybe not insane. You're already crazy."

I playfully punched his shoulder, "Shut up."

He chuckled as he rubbed his shoulder in mild pain. "Look, just take it easy. Everything will be fine."

I nodded my thanks before he vapored away.

* * *

It wasn't long before everyone was ready to enter the throne room. The next few hours were a blur. I remembered my promise to Sally. Zeus looked at me strangely, but snapped his fingers and informed me that the Empire State Building was now lit blue. Most mortals would just have to wonder what it meant, but she would know: I had survived and Olympus was saved.

The throne room's repairs went by quickly with twelve gods and a Demon King at work. Apollo and I cared for the wounded, and once the sky bridge re-formed, the surviving demigods entered. The Cyclopes had saved Thalia from the fallen statue. She was on crutches, but otherwise, she was fine. Connor and Travis Stoll made it through with minor injuries. When they saw me, they gave me a mix of fearful and confused looks and I promised I would explain later. They told me they hadn't looted the city much, and that my human parents were fine, though they weren't allowed into Mount Olympus. Mrs. O'Leary had dug Chiron out of the rubble and rushed him off to camp. The Stolls looked kind of worried for the old centaur, but at least he was alive. Katie Gardener reported that she'd seen Rachel Elizabeth Dare run out of the Empire State Building at the end of the battle. Rachel had looked unharmed, but nobody knew where she'd gone, which troubled me.

Nico di Angelo came into Olympus with a hero's welcome, his father right behind him, despite the fact that Hades was only allowed to visit Olympus on the winter solstice. The god of the dead looked stunned when his relatives clapped him on the back. I doubt he'd ever gotten such an enthusiastic welcome before.

Clarisse marched in, still shivering from her time in the ice block, and Ares bellowed, "There's my girl!"

The god of war ruffled her hair and pounded her on the back, calling her the best warrior he'd ever seen. "That drakon-slaying? THAT'S what I'm talking about!"

She looked pretty overwhelmed. All she could do was nod and blink like she was afraid he'd start hitting her, but eventually, she began to smile.

Hera and Hephaestus passed me, and while they looked at me with worry, Hephaestus thought I'd done "a pretty bang-up job, mostly". Even though he was a little grumpy about my jumping on his throne.

Hera sniffed in disdain. "I suppose I won't destroy you and that little girl now, demon."

"Annabeth helped save Olympus," I told her. Then I gave her a warning stare. "And if I were you, I'd watch my mouth, _goddess_."

She gulped at the look I gave her but kept her composure. Hera whirred away with a huff.

Conch horns blew. The army of Poseidon marched through the throne room.

"Percy!" Tyson yelled. He charged towards me with his arms open. Fortunately, he'd shrunk back to normal size, so his hug was like getting hit by a tractor, not the entire farm.

"You are not dead!" he said. His one eye was closed as he began shaking me from side to side.

My eyes bugged, and I could barely breathe. "Tyson…let go…please…" He suddenly stopped and set me back onto my feet. I had to stop myself from gasping for breath. I didn't want the young Cyclops to feel bad.

"Big brother looks different." He sniffed the air. "And you smell different. Like a monster, but…different."

I waved my clawed hands. "I'll explain later, Tyson."

"Okay!" He said, his childish mind dismissing the importance of such an observation. He clapped his hands and laughed happily. "I'm not dead either. Yay! We chained Typhon. It was fun!"

Behind him, fifty other Cyclopes laughed and nodded and gave each other high fives.

"Tyson lead us," one rumbled. "He was brave!"

"Bravest of the Cyclopes!" another bellowed.

Tyson blushed. "Was nothing."

"I saw you!" I said. "You were incredible!"

"YAAARRRRR!" the Cyclopes roared.

The conch horns blasted again. The Cyclopes parted, and Poseidon strode into the throne room in his battle armor, trident glowing in his hands. "Tyson!" he roared. "Well done, my son. And Egyn–" His face turned stern. He wagged his finger at me, and for a second I thought he was going to blast me. That was until I saw the traces of good humor in his stern gaze. "I even forgive you for sitting on my throne. You have saved Olympus!"

He held out his arms and gave me a hug. I realized, a little embarrassed, that I'd never actually hugged him before. Not even all those years ago. He was war – like a regular human – and he smelled of a salty beach and fresh air.

When he pulled away, he smiled kindly at me. I felt so good. I was never hugged by my actual father. He would only acknowledge my brothers and me, and pat us on the backs with a small praise. I'll admit I teared up a little. I guess until that moment I hadn't allowed myself to realize just how overwhelmed I was the last few hours.

"Poseidon-"

"Shhh," he said. "No hero is above feeling overwhelmed, Egyn. And _you_ have would have felt much stress during your very long existence. Not even the heroes of old-"

"POSEIDON!" a voice roared.

Zeus had taken his throne. He glared across the room at the sea god while all of the other gods filed in and took their seats. Even Hades was present, sitting on a simple stone guest chair at the foot of the hearth. Nico sat cross-legged on the ground at his dad's feet.

"Well, Poseidon?" Zeus grumbled. "Are you too proud to join us in council, my brother?"

I thought Poseidon would get mad, but he just looked at me and winked. "I would be honored, Lord Zeus." He strode over to his fishing seat, and the Olympian Council convened.

* * *

While Zeus was talking – some long speech about the bravery of the gods, etc. – Samael walked in and stood next to me along with Annabeth and Grover.

Sam grinned down at me (he was about half a foot taller than me). "Have we missed anything?" he whispered. Annabeth and Grover, although healed, looked a bit pale when they looked at me in my demonic state.

"Nobody's planning to kill us, so far," I whispered back.

He chuckled darkly. "You know they wouldn't dare."

I cracked up, but Grover made an audible gulp. I turned to him and saw that he was looking at Hera nervously. The Queen of Olympus was giving us dirty looks - one I gladly returned with my own kick. My pupil slits turned red and my green irises glowed ominously. She shivered and looked away.

"As for my brothers," Zeus said, "we are thankful" – he cleared his throat like the words were hard to get out – "erm, thankful for the aid of Hades."

The lord of the dead nodded. He had a smug look on his face, but I figured he'd earned the right. He patted his son Nico on the shoulders, and Nico had looked happier than I'd ever seen him.

"And of course," Zeus continued, though he looked like his pants were smoldering. "we must…um…thank Poseidon."

"I'm sorry brother," Poseidon said. "What was that?"

"We must thank Poseidon," Zeus growled. "Without whom…it would've been difficult-"

"Difficult?" Poseidon asked innocently.

"Impossible," Zeus said. "Impossible to defeat Typhon."

The gods murmured in agreement and pounded their weapons in approval.

"Which leaves us," Zeus said, "only the matters of thanking our young demigod heroes, who defended Olympus so well – even though there were a few dents in my throne – and a nice explanation of past events from our guest, Mephisto Pheles, and the demigod Perseus Jackson. But that will be after." Zeus' eyes narrowed at the two of us.

He called Thalia forward first, since she was his daughter, and promised her help in filling the Hunt's ranks.

Artemis smiled. "You have done well, my lieutenant. You have made me proud, and all those Hunters who perished in my service will never be forgotten. They will achieve Elysium, I am sure."

She pointedly glared at Hades.

He shrugged. "Probably."

Artemis glared at him some more.

"Okay," Hades grumbled. "I'll streamline their application process."

Thalia beamed with pride. "Thank you, my lady." She bowed to the gods, even Hades, and then limped over to stand by Artemis' side.

"Tyson, son of Poseidon!" Zeus called. Tyson looked nervous, but he went to stand in the middle of the Council.

"Doesn't miss any meals does he?" Zeus muttered. Tyson, for your bravery in the war, and for leading the Cyclopes, you are appointed a general in the armies of Olympus. You shall henceforth lead your brethren into war whenever required by the gods. And you shall have a new…um…what kind of weapon would you like? A sword? An axe?"

"Stick!" Tyson said, showing his broken club.

"Very well," Zeus said. "We will grant you a new, er, stick. The best stick that may be found."

"Hooray!" Tyson cried, and all the Cyclopes cheered and pounded him on the back as he rejoined them.

"Grover Underwood of the satyrs!" Dionysus called.

Grover came forward nervously.

"Oh stop chewing your shirt," Dionysus chided. "Honestly, I'm not going to blast you. For your bravery and sacrifice, blah, blah, blah, and since we have an unfortunate vacancy, the gods have seen fit to name you a member of the Council of Cloven Elders."

Grover collapsed on the spot.

"Oh wonderful," Dionysus said, as several naiads came forward to help Grover. "Well, when he wakes up, someone tell him that he will no longer be an outcast and that all satyrs, naiads and other spirits of nature will henceforth treat him as lord of the Wild, with all the rights, privileges, and honors, blah, blah, blah. Now please, drag him off before he wakes up and starts groveling."

"FOOOOOD." Grover moaned, as the nature spirits carried him away. When they passed me, the naiads were clearly shocked to see me in person. Recognition shined in their eyes as they each bowed their heads when passing. I smiled right back at them, then glanced at Grover.

I figured he'd be okay. He would wake up as a lord of the Wild with a bunch of beautiful naiads taking care of him. Life could be worse.

Athena called, "Annabeth Chase, my own daughter."

Annabeth glanced at me nervously, then walked forward and knelt at her mother's feet.

Athena smiled. "You, my daughter, have exceeded all expectations. You have used your wits, your strength, and your courage to defend this city, and out seats of power. It has come to attention that Olympus is…well, trashed. The Titan lord did much damage that will have to be repaired. We could rebuild it by magic, of course, and make it just as it was. But the gods feel that the city could be improved. We will take this as an opportunity. And you, my daughter, will design these improvements."

Annabeth looked up, stunned. "My…my lady?"

Athena smiled wryly. "You _are_ an architect, are you not? You have studied the techniques of Daedalus himself. Who better to redesign Olympus and make a monument that will last for another eon?"

"You mean…I can design whatever I want?"

"As your heart desires," the goddess said. "Make us a city of the ages."

"As long as they have plenty of statues of me," Apollo said.

"And me," Aphrodite agreed.

"Hey, and e!" Ares said. "Big statues with huge wicked swords and-"

"All right!" Athena interrupted. "She gets the point. Rise, my daughter, official architect of Olympus."

Annabeth rose in a trance and walked back to where I am.

"Way to go," I told her, grinning.

For once she was at a loss for words, seemingly forgetting her previous hesitance to approach me. "I'll…I'll have to start planning…Drafting paper, and, um, pencils-"

"PERSEUS JACKSON!" Poseidon announced. The name I was given echoed around the chamber.

All talking died down. The room was silent except for the crackle of the hearth fire. Everyone's eyes were on me – all the gods, demigods, the Cyclopes, the spirits. I walked into the middle of the throne room. Hestia smiled at me reassuringly. She was in the form of a girl now, and she seemed happy and content to be sitting by her fire again. Her smile gave me the courage to keep walking.

First I bowed to Zeus. Then knelt at Poseidon's feet.

Poseidon chuckled. "You know, you were never one to bow, Egyn."

I stood uneasily as I felt all the hard stares from the occupants of the room.

Zeus interrupted his brother before the sea god could continue. "Poseidon, before we start with his reward, can he please explain to us why he's, erm," Zeus gestured towards me uncertainly. "Like this?"

"I believe I can assist with this," Samael said, quickly walking his way to my side, his ever mischievous smile present on his face. "You see, dear brother is not ' _Percy Jackson demigod son of Poseidon, the god of the seas'_. On the contrary. His real name is Egyn fifth son of Satan, the god of the alternate realm Gehenna."

There were many gasps, and whispering broke out among the occupants of the throne room. My left eyebrow rose, shooting an annoyed look towards the King of Time. "I could have done that myself, you know."

Sam just grinned wider. "You could have, but I had a feeling that you would mess it up. You never did have a knack at speech." I sighed but nodded letting him take the floor. He clapped his hands together once, the sound gathering everyone's undivided attention. "Anyway, now that that's cleared, any questions?"

Clarisse spoke up. "Yah, like why is he even here? If he's not a demigod, then what's the purpose of him being here? Who's this Satan person, and what's Gehenna?"

"Right, I've forgotten that Greeks wouldn't be well versed in the affairs of the Catholic Church." Samael leaned forward on his umbrella and grinned at Clarisse. "For starters, Gehenna is the alternate realm of Assiah – Earth as you humans put it. This realm is infested with demonic creatures and the souls of the worst sinners. The ones who completely abandon God's faith, and plunge so deep that they themselves cannot return from damnation. In there, Satan is King. He being the one who challenged the Divine for his throne but fell once he was defeated. To the ones who believe in God being the single ruler of the Universe, Satan was better known as Lucifer before he was stripped of his name and expelled from grace. Forced to forever burn in the fiery pits of Gehenna. Are you following?"

Everyone nodded.

"To continue, Gehenna has eight Kings directly below Satan himself. All his sons. Lucifer King of Light, Me King of Time and Space, Azazel King of Spirits and the Air, Iblis King of Fire, Egyn King of Water, Asteroth King of Rot, Amaimon King of Earth, and Beelzebub King of Insects. Each King governs over a specific section of Gehenna. For example, Azazel mans the damned and demons who have links to spirits. Oftentimes he even has reigned over the dead that was innocent but ended up in Gehenna somehow. He determines their punishments and keeps track of each and every one of them. Another would be Amaimon, who reigns over demons who have links to anything that has to do with the greens of nature and earth. Greenman, ents, hobgoblins, etc." He finished.

"Why's he here, then?" Clarisse asked, frustrated that the Demon King wouldn't answer _that_ question.

Samael raised his pointer finger in the air next to his face. "Now that's an interesting question." He looked back at me. "Would you like to take it from here, brother dear?"

I crossed my arms and sighed, choosing to casually lean against Poseidon's throne. A gesture that made the sea god smile. "I can't actually answer that either. All I know is that I was forced into the body of a child of Poseidon and that my memories and powers were sealed away. How and by whom is still a mystery. Why they did it, though, is easy. They wanted revenge, and it somehow led to Kronos being the one to return to me what is mine for the sole purpose of using me to destroy Olympus. But, fortunately, or unfortunately, I don't like listening to cowards. And using Grover and Annabeth against me was foolish. Even as a demon I was loyal to a fault, and poking at my nature with a stick was bound to unleash the lion's wrath." I ended, now sitting on Poseidon's feet, tickling his big toe with my tail, and enjoying how he would grumble about me being annoying, and his toe's nerves turning traitor.

What a funny guy.

Zeus frowned at the display and turned to Poseidon with narrowed, suspicious eyes. "Brother, I am curious about why you two seem to be so familiar with each other."

Poseidon grumbled once more and lightly lifted his foot so that I would slide off. He turned to look at Zeus, his expression calm and collected. "We met after Oceanus was defeated after the first war with our father. He was captured by the ocean titan's forces, and Egyn's general asked for our help. I agreed as long as they helped us against Oceanus. He was resting in a tent, recovering from his wounds not being able to heal themselves in months. We've developed as friends ever since." He looked towards me. "Upon his disappearance, I had taken it upon myself to watch over his kingdom until he returned. They are doing well, and have been searching for him without rest."

I smiled up at my old friend, grateful that he would do such a thing in my absence. I then frowned in thought. I would have to return soon. My kin needed to know that I was alright.

"I see," Zeus muttered. He rested his chin on his fist, elbow leaning on the armrest of his throne. "If that's the case, then I see no harm in keeping him around." He glared down at me in warning. "But mark my words, boy, if you as much as attempt to betray our trust I will not hesitate to kill you. Do you understand?"

I scoffed up at him, still sitting cross-legged on the marble floor. "Like you'd be able to do anything, _boy_ , but alright. I wasn't planning on doing anything anyway. I'm not the type of demon that betrays others for their amusement, nor am I one who turns tail and leaves the other team just because I see defeat. I've always fought for my people, and I won't stop, and if _you_ so much as _think_ of attacking my kin for any reason that is not direct self-defense then I will make sure you burn in my father's realm for the rest of eternity. Do _you_ understand?" I stated ominously. Glaring daggers at the King of Olympus, challenging him to say something other than agreement.

Zeus scowled at me but refrained from replying.

Apollo noticed something that no one else noticed (or at least he thought no one noticed). "Hey, dude, how come you and he are brothers but he doesn't have horns, long claws, and a tail?" He asked, gesturing to Samael and me.

"He does have these features, but he prefers to not show them in public. For obvious reasons, I'd hope. I'll be honest and say that I forgot you could see my demonic features. If you guys want, I can change into a more human form." I offered.

"That would be most helpful, Egyn," Poseidon said.

I nodded, then concentrated on making my horns and claws disappear, and my ears and gangs shrink. My pupils also returned to their circular forms. Unfortunately, my tail would not disappear and my teeth and ears did not look like a human's. My canines were still sharp, and my ears were still pointed at the end, but they were less noticeable. "Unfortunately, I cannot hide my tail like my other features and I still retain slightly more demonic than human."

"That is fine, just as long as you find a way to hide your tail in public, then I see no problems," Athena said. "I recommend wrapping it around your stomach."

I nodded and did just that. I took off the armor on my torso and lifted the shirt underneath. I wrapped my tail around my stomach then lowered my shirt, successfully hiding it from sight.

Hera cleared her throat. "Now that that is out of the way, may we please continue? I believe I'd be correct to say that we all have places to be."

"Yes, of course. A hero must be rewarded, no matter what species they are." Poseidon said. "Is there anyone who believes Egyn is undeserving?"

I waited for someone to pipe up. The gods never agreed on anything, and many of them still didn't like me, but not a single one protested.

"The Council agrees," Zeus said. "Egyn, you will have one gift from the gods."

I hesitated, "Any gift?"

Zeus nodded grimly. "I know what you will ask. The greatest gift of all. Yes, if you want it, it shall be yours. The gods have not bestowed this gift on a hero in many centuries, but, Egyn – if you wish it – you shall be made a god."

I stared at him, stunned. "Um…a god?"

Zeus rolled his eyes. "Yes. With the consensus of the entire Council, I can make you immortal."

"Hmm," Ares mused. "That means I can smash him into a pulp as much as I want. And he'll just keep coming back for more. I like this idea."

I couldn't hold it in much longer. The mere thought of being a god was laughable enough, but being offered godhood as if it were the most amazing gift in the universe just made it even more hilarious. I even caught a glimpse of Aniki concealing his chuckles with his hand. I didn't even try to stop my chuckles from turning into full blown laughter.

I clutched my stomach, gasping for breath as I tried to speak. "A-A god? You…you're really offering…? Ha-ha, I can't believe it you-you think I'll even ask for something so ridiculous?" I was now leaning against Poseidon's big toe for support. Everyone other than myself and Samael were unsettled by my outburst.

I sobered up a bit and wiped a lone tear from my eye. "I'm sorry, but to be offered to become one with the same race who are considered children to my family is just plain funny." I patted the toe. "No offence to Poseidon," I casually stood up from the marble floor, and disappeared only to reappear in front of Ares' face with a liquefied hand clenched around his neck and my body turning into a larger, more watery version of myself. I grinned menacingly at the war god, my bangs casting a shadow over my eyes. "But I just can't think of ever stooping to such a level."

The demigods gasped while most of the gods – save for Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter, and Ares (for obvious reasons) – summoned their weapons and pointed them at me.

"Unhand him, Demon!" Zeus yelled. "Or I'll blast you back to Gehenna!"

I was just about to slam Ares into his throne when…

"Einz, Zwei, Drei! Er Stopfen!"

Everyone was suddenly frozen in place. Not a single thing moved, only the eyes of every occupant were allowed to move in their sockets.

My eyes turned to Samael, and if it were possible, I and every other entity in the room would have glared at him.

Samael sauntered his way over to me while swinging his umbrella in circles – a common practice of his – as everyone's eyes followed his movements. "Oh my, Otouto. You seem quite temperamental at the moment." He grinned. "There's really no need to fight. I'm sure Egyn was just showing off how utterly redundant it would be to accept your offer." He bowed flamboyantly, now standing before the thrones of the gods. "Please, forgive him for his rudeness, we're all exhausted from this little war of yours, and Egyn's just getting re-accustomed to being himself."

Time restarted. I let go of Ares' throat with a sigh and reverted back to normal. Oh well, guess I can beat him up some other time."Whatever." I said under my breath. I turned and walked back to Poseidon. I sat on a beanbag chair that suddenly appeared right next to his throne. I smiled right up to him, but he shook his head and pointed a finger to Hestia. I gave her a nod of my thanks and sat down.

Zeus grumbled under his breath, but sat back down, none-the-less. The other gods did the same. "Fine, let's just get this over with so we can leave."

I smirked at him. "Alright. My wish is simple, but I need you to swear on the Styx that you'll grant it."

* * *

 **There we go, I fixed the last part from where Ares speaks last to now. So no godhood.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **I tweaked the last chapter a bit. It's all here so you don't need to go back and check. I've decided that Egyn won't become a god. I give my thanks to those who reviewed and gave me your opinions, for I believe it's safe to say that I agree with you completely, so this chapter is dedicated to you.**

* * *

 _Previously:_

 _I stared at him, incredulously. "Um…a god?"_

 _Zeus rolled his eyes. "Yes. With the consensus of the entire Council, I can make you immortal."_

 _"_ _Hmm," Ares mused. "That means I can smash him into a pulp as much as I want. And he'll just keep coming back for more. I like this idea."_

 _I couldn't hold it in much longer. The mere thought of being a god was laughable enough, but being offered godhood as if it were the most amazing gift in the universe just made it even more hilarious. I even caught a glimpse of Aniki concealing his chuckles with his hand. I didn't even try to stop my chuckles from turning into full blown laughter._

 _I clutched my stomach, gasping for breath as I tried to speak. "A-A god? You…you're really offering…? Ha-ha, I can't believe it you-you think I'll even ask for something so ridiculous?" I was now leaning against Poseidon's big toe for support. Everyone other than myself and Samael was unsettled by my outburst._

 _I sobered up a bit and wiped a lone tear from my eye. "I'm sorry, but to be offered to become one with the same race who are considered children to my family is just plain funny." I patted the toe. "No offense to Poseidon," I casually stood up from the marble floor and disappeared only to reappear in front of Ares' face with a liquefied hand clenched around his neck and my body turning into a larger, more watery version of myself. I grinned menacingly at the war god, my bangs casting a shadow over my eyes. "But I just can't think of ever stooping to such a level."_

 _The demigods gasped while most of the gods – save for Poseidon, Hestia, Demeter, and Ares (for obvious reasons) – summoned their weapons and pointed them at me._

 _"_ _Unhand him, Demon!" Zeus yelled. "Or I'll blast you back to Gehenna!"_

 _I was just about to slam Ares into his throne when…_

 _"_ _Einz, Zwei, Drei! Er Stopfen!"_

 _Everyone was suddenly frozen in place. Not a single thing moved, only the eyes of every occupant were allowed to move in their sockets._

 _My eyes turned to Samael, and if it were possible, I and every other entity in the room would have glared at him._

 _Samael sauntered his way over to me while swinging his umbrella in circles – a common practice of his – as everyone's eyes followed his movements. "Oh my, Otouto. You seem quite temperamental at the moment." He grinned. "There's really no need to fight. I'm sure Egyn was just showing off how utterly redundant it would be to accept your offer." He bowed flamboyantly, now standing before the thrones of the gods. "Please, forgive him for his rudeness, we're all exhausted from this little war of yours, and Egyn's just getting re-accustomed to being himself."_

 _Time restarted. I let go of Ares' throat with a sigh and reverted back to normal. Oh well, guess I can beat him up some other time. "Whatever," I said under my breath. I turned and walked back to Poseidon. I sat on a beanbag chair that suddenly appeared right next to his throne. I smiled right up to him, but he shook his head and pointed a finger to Hestia. I gave her a nod of my thanks and sat down._

 _Zeus grumbled under his breath, but sat back down, none-the-less. The other gods did the same. "Fine, let's just get this over with so we can leave."_

 _I smirked at him. "Alright. My wish is simple and within your power, but I need you to swear on the Styx that you'll grant it."_

 _Now:_

"What?" Dionysus cried. "You don't trust us?"

"Someone once told me," I said, looking at Hades, "you should always get a solemn oath."

Hades shrugged, "Guilty."

"Very well!" Zeus growled. "In the name of the Council, we swear by the River Styx to grant your _reasonable_ request as long as it is within our power."

The other gods muttered assent. Thunder boomed, shaking the throne room. The deal was made.

I gave Zeus a devilish grin, hearing Samael chuckling in the background. "From now on, I want you to properly recognize the children of the gods," I said. "All the children…of _all_ the gods."

The Olympians shifted uncomfortably.

"Egyn," Poseidon said, "What exactly do you mean?"

I frowned at the sea god. "Poseidon, you know Kronos wouldn't have risen if it hadn't been for a large number of demigods who felt abandoned by their parents. They felt angry, resentful, and unloved, and they had a good reason."

Zeus' royal nostrils flared. "You dare accuse-"

"No more undetermined children," I cut in. "I want you to promise to claim your children – all your demigod children – by the time they turn thirteen. They won't be left out in the world on their own at the mercy of the Greek monsters. I want them claimed and brought to camp so they can be trained right, and survive."

"Now, wait just a minute," Apollo said, but I was on a roll.

"And the minor gods," I said. "Nemesis, Hecate, Morpheus, Janus, Hebe – they all deserve a general amnesty and a place at Camp Half-Blood. Their children shouldn't be ignored. Calypso and the other peaceful Titan-kind should be pardoned too. And Hades-"

"Are you calling me a _minor god_?" Hades bellowed.

"No," I said sharply, giving him a warning glare. "But your children should not be left out. They should have a cabin at camp. Nico has proven that. No unclaimed demigods will be crammed into the Hermes cabin anymore, wondering who their parents are. They'll have their own cabins, for all the gods. And no more pact of the Big Three. That didn't work anyway. They are to be trained and accepted instead. All children of the gods will be welcomed and treated with respect. This is my wish."

Zeus snorted. "Is that all?"

"Egyn," Poseidon said. "You ask much."

I raised my forefinger as a proclamation. "I hold you to your oath." I gave them all a good stare. "All of you."

I got a lot of steely looks. Strangely, it was Athena who spoke up: "The demon is correct. We have been unwise to ignore our children. It proved a strategic weakness in this war and almost caused our destruction. Percy Jack-ah, Egyn, I have had my doubts about you, but perhaps" – she glanced at Annabeth and then spoke as if the words left a sour taste – "Perhaps I was mistaken. I move to follow his plan."

Zeus gave a _'humph'_. "Being told what to do by a creature from another realm. But I suppose…"

"All in favor," Hermes asked.

All the gods raised their hands.

I nodded at them, choosing to hold back a triumphant grin. I stood up from the chair but before I could leave, Poseidon called, "Honor guard!"

Immediately the Cyclopes came forward and made two lines from the thrones to the door – an aisle for me to walk through. They came to attention.

"All hail, Egyn," Tyson said. "Hero of Olympus…and my big brother!"

 ***Line break***

Samael and I were on our way out when I spotted Hermes in a side courtyard of the palace. He was staring at an Iris-message into the mist of a fountain.

I glanced at Sam. "I'll meet you at the elevator."

He merely raised his eyebrow, but said nothing and left to the elevators.

Hermes didn't seem to notice me approach. The Iris-message images were going so fast I could hardly understand them. Mortal newscasts from all over the country flashed by scenes of Typhon's destruction, the wreckage our battle had left across Manhattan, the president doing a news conference, the mayor of New York, some army vehicles riding down the Avenue of the Americas.

"Amazing," Hermes murmured. He turned toward me. "Three thousand years, and I still never get over the power of the Mist…and mortal ignorance."

I chuckled. "Believe me when I tell you that you haven't seen anything. Mortal ignorance can do many things. You know how the saying goes: Ignorance is bliss."

Hermes looked at me curiously, then returned his attention to the Iris-message. "Look at them. They've already decided Typhon was a freak series of storms. Don't I wish? They haven't figured out how all those statues in Lower Manhattan got removed from their pedestals and hacked to pieces. They keep showing a shot of Susan B. Anthony strangling Fredrick Douglass. But I imagine they'll even come up with a logical explanation for that."

"How bad is the city?"

Hermes raised his eyebrow. "Pretty bad. The mortals are shaken. Either way, I imagine New Yorkers will be back to normal in a few months; and of course, I'll be helping."

"You?"

"I'm the messenger of the gods. It's my job to monitor what the mortals are saying, and if necessary, help them make sense of what's happened. I'll reassure them. Trust me, they'll put this down to a freak earthquake or a solar flare. Anything but the truth."

He sounded bitter. George and Martha curled around his caduceus, but they were silent, which made me think that Hermes was _really_ angry. I kept quiet.

* * *

Samael was waiting for me at the elevator. "You took your time. What were you up to, Otouto?"

"Nothing you'd be interested in, Aniki."

Samael _humm_ ed. He pressed the elevator button and we waited. As expected, the elevator didn't take too long to reach us. We entered and pressed the Lobby button. The music was calm but it was still boring, and I found myself fidgeting in place. I could feel my tail twitch uncomfortably under my shirt, and it tickling my belly didn't help stop my fidgeting.

Samael seemed to not really care, but I could tell he was kind of annoyed with me not staying still. My assumption was further proven when he asked about it. "You seem very jumpy, Egyn. Is there something wrong?"

I was looking at my tapping feet when he asked. I lifted my head up and gave him a sheepish smile. "No, there's nothing wrong. I guess I still have ADHD. Probably because my vessel is actually a demigod."

"Perhaps." Anything else the elder demon would have wanted to say was stopped when the elevator doors opened. We stepped out into the Lobby to see Sally and Paul arguing with the security guy, who returned to his post.

"I'm telling you," she yelled and the security gulped when he saw me. "We have to go up! My son-"

Then she saw me and her eyes widened. "Percy!" and proceeded to hug the breath out of me. I had to bite back a cry of pain when she squeezed my tail. "We saw the building lit blue," she said. "But you didn't come down. You went up hours ago and we heard you fought Kronos in his true form."

I nodded, but my eyes were welling up with tears. She was squeezing harder!

Samael seemed to notice my distress and decided it was his responsibility to make sure my tail didn't snap in half from over-affection. "Hello, ma'am. Seeing that you are currently hugging the boy to death, you must be the famous Sally Jackson."

Sally slowly let me go, observing Samael suspiciously. The Demon King simply gave off that kind of vibe. "Yes, and you are?"

 _'_ _Mephisto'_ removed his hat and gave an exaggerated bow, "Mephisto Pheles. I'm a close relative of his."

Sally looked at him curiously, with a little bit of confusion. "Really, who's your godly parent?"

I shifted nervously and was about to tell her what was going on when Nico ran in from the street, his face told me something was wrong.

"It's Rachel," he said. "I just ran into her down 32nd Street."

I frowned. "What did she do this time?"

"It's where she's gone," Nico huffed, still slightly out of breath. "I told her she would die if she tried, but she insisted. She just took Blackjack and-"

"She took my Pegasus?" I demanded. I felt my body shake in rage.

Nico gulped nervously but nodded. "She's heading to Half-Blood Hill. She said she had to get to camp.

I grabbed at Samael and Nico's shoulders and used my water abilities combined with the powers of Poseidon's son to vapor travel us right outside the camp orders.

Nico, Samael, and I ran forward. Nico made it through without a problem, but Sam and I slammed face-first into the barrier.

Nico quickly turned around to see what happened and saw me and my brother clutching our foreheads in mild pain and annoyance. He raised his eyebrow at that, probably mentally laughing at the fact that two powerful demons had been bested an invisible wall.

I growled at him, subconsciously letting my tail free itself, twitching and curling in agitation. "Let us in, Nico."

He did, and we continued running after taking tentative steps passed the magical wall.

Rachel was already at the big house. She held out her hands. "You have waited too long," Rachel said, "But I'm here now."

The sun blazed more brightly. A man appeared above the porch, floating in midair. The man was blond with a white toga, wore sunglasses, and a cocky smile.

"Apollo," I muttered, settling with frowning at the sun god.

He winked at me but held up a finger to his lips.

"Rachel Elizabeth Dare," He announced. "You have the gift of prophecy. But it is also a curse. Are you sure you want this?"

Rachel nodded. "It's destiny."

"Do you accept the risks?"

"I do."

"Then proceed," Apollo said.

Rachel closed her eyes. "I accept this role. I pledge myself to Apollo, God of Oracles. I open my eyes to the future, I embrace the past. I accept the spirit of Delphi, Voice of the Gods, speaker of riddles, and seer of fate."

Then a green mist that was always around the mummy shot at Rachel and the mummy dissolved to nothing.

Rachel's eyes shone green with the mist before returning to normal.

Apollo drifted down from the porch. "Ladies and gentlemen, may I introduce you to the new Oracle of Delphi." As soon as those words left his lips, Rachel doubled over.

When she stood, her eyes glowed serpent green.

When she spoke, her voice sounded like three Rachels. One of the past, one of the present, and one of the future. Similar to the Fates.

 _"_ _Six half-bloods shall answer the call._

 _To storm or fire, the world must fall._

 _An oath to keep with a final breath._

 _And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death._

 _Without the help of Satan's second, fifth, and ninth son,_

 _Olympus will fail when all is won._

 _Demon of Water, Demon of Time,_

 _Beware of the ones who bear will of rhyme._

 _A memory lost is a memory gained,_

 _But do not fall to Memory's game."_

I growled. "Damn, another one."

Samael didn't look very happy with knowing that he was being pulled into the gods' mess either. His eyes were set on glaring at the redhead, and his gloved hand was _crushing_ his umbrella's handle.

Apollo gave me an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, dude." Then flashed out.

Rachel said her goodbyes and left right after.

We stood there for a moment to reign in our anger. I turned to Samael. "You want to head to the Poseidon cabin? We can discuss coming events there in private."

"Yes, that seems adequate." He loosened his grip on his umbrella. He raised it in front of him and waved it around as if to say _'Lead the way'._ Which is exactly what I did.

We passed the Volley Ball court and crossed the river, then passed the Arena until we made it to the cabins.

"This Camp Half-Blood is rather large, Otouto," Samael said as he whistled, and swung his umbrella in circles.

"Yah, but it's nice. Especially when you're not worried about a war." I told him about each of the cabins and who they belonged to. "The Olympians need to get their acts together. Especially Zeus." Thunder rumbled indignantly, but I didn't bother with acknowledging it. "He needs to get his priorities straight. To lead a successful kingdom without fault is difficult, I know, but to alienate an entire group of his subjects won't make it any better. If this war didn't show him that, then I don't know what will."

We reached cabin three. Sam began to talk as I opened the door to let us in. "You seem quite concerned for these gods, Egyn. You got your memories back, so why do you still care?"

I narrowed my eyes at him, "Call it wanting to return the favor. Their children took me in as a demigod, even though my vessel was a son of Poseidon. I made friends in these last few years, and I've also lost friends to death. Some of their deaths could have been prevented, but I wasn't able to stop them. They risked their lives to save their home, and it's my turn to return the favor." I stated, challenging him to try and put me down.

But he didn't do that. No, he just smiled faintly. A kind of foreign warmth in his emerald irises. "You always were the more passionate of us, Egyn. I'm truly glad you're alright."

I returned the smile. "Well, I won't be going anywhere anytime soon." I plopped onto my bed with a sigh. "What are you still doing here anyway? I would have thought that you would go back to that school in Japan. What was it called…something about a cross-"

"True Cross Academy, yes." Sam sat down at the edge of my bed. "I wanted to make sure you were fine here before I departed, but that little prophecy has peaked my interest. Although, I would have rather not been involved with the problems of Olympus."

I shrugged. "What can I say? I've been dealing with their problems for years." I made myself comfortable by crossing my arms behind my head. "You kind of get used to it." My eyes narrowed at Samael's smug face. He seemed to be mentally laughing at my expense. "Shut up."

Samael gave a gasp, and dramatically put his hand against his heart, looking pained. "Brother, you wound me. I have said nothing to you."

"Not verbally," I grumbled. We both laughed together for a few seconds before it ended.

Sam frowned. "This is nice and all, but we have more pressing matters to discuss, like the prophecy. Why are we being involved?"

I shifted in my bed so that I was on my side. "I don't know why, but apparently we're supposed to fight with our brothers. This will be so annoying, I already know it. We'll have to convince them to help while the Greeks deal with whatever threat is to come. I already know that Amaimon follows you around like an obedient dog, and Lucifer is probably with his little organization. What I'm worried about, though, is convincing Iblis, Beelzebub, Astaroth, and Azazel to help. Iblis and I never did see eye-to-eye."

Samael grinned. "You're forgetting something, Otouto~" He sang.

I glared at him. "What?"

"The fifth line of this prophecy specifically says that the Ninth son of Satan needs to help us. Not the _sons_ of Satan. The others don't need to be involved."

"What?" I shot up into a sitting position. "Ninth son? We have another sibling?"

"Sibling _s_ , actually. Twin males that were born and raised in Assiah. Quite the interesting duo, might I say." He began kicking his legs into the air without a care in the world. "Though, only one of them inherited father's flames."

I gapped at Samael. "Impossible. None of our brothers have inherited his power. Not even Iblis."

"Oh, but 'tis true. The eldest twin, Rin Okumura, inherited father's power. He and his twin are currently attending my school. Well, Yukio Okumura already graduated the Cram School and is now an exorcist."

"Exorcist? Why would he want to be an exorcist? Wait, I thought you said that Rin was the eldest? How did Yukio graduate before him?" I asked.

"So many questions." Samael stood up from the bed and approached the door of the cabin. "Questions that will be answered upon a later date." He stepped out and I rushed to follow him. I didn't even realize that he was headed towards the Mess Hall.

"Come on…" I groaned out. "Aniki, tell me~"

"No~" He sang, swinging his umbrella leisurely.

"Why not?"

Samael stopped at the entrance of the Mess Hall. He turned around to face me with cool eyes, and a smile. He grabbed my shoulders and guided me towards the Poseidon table. I noticed that all conversation ceased when we entered.

"Sam? What are you doing?" I asked. I didn't understand why he chose to come here, or why he forced me to sit at table three.

He didn't say a word as he shoved me into the seat with a jester's grin. "Like I said, Otouto, _'no'_. All in good time." And he disappeared in pink smoke with a _poof_.

I sighed in exasperation. He can be so annoying. My tail lay limp at my side. The nature spirits began to bring in the food for everyone, like usual. One of the younger Nymphs approached my table tentatively. Fear in her eyes as her hands was trembling, shaking the tray of food. Everyone in the Hall was watching us with mixes of curiosity, nervousness, and fear for the Nymph.

She quickly placed the tray in front of me with an _'Eep!'_ and scurried away. I huffed in annoyance. Was I really that scary? I looked in the direction the Nymph went. She was currently huddled with a group of nature spirits. Some were giving me weary glances while whispering amongst themselves. I could only catch snippets of the conversation. It was in Ancient Greek, though. _"Eínai tóso tromaktikó"_ ( _He's so scary_ ) one said. _"Ourá tou eínai tóso goúnino!"_ ( _His tail is so furry!_ ) Another said. I blushed at that one, looking down at my exposed tail.

I heard a soft giggle behind me. My ears perked up at the sound. I turned around to see Annabeth standing there with a small, baby blue pastry box in her hands. She gave me a shy smile. This kind of made me worried. Annabeth never giggled, nor was she _ever_ shy. Her pride as the daughter of Athena didn't allow her to be shy.

"Annabeth?"

"H-Hey, Per- er, Egyn." She said. She stumbled over my name and looked down at her feet. Something must be wrong, so I asked.

"What's wrong?"

Her head shot up. "N-Nothing! Nothing's wrong. I just, er, wanted to say…" She shoved the box towards me. "Happy Birthday…I think." Her face went red in embarrassment upon realizing that it might not even be my real birthday.

I chuckled at her and gently took the pastry box from her. "Thanks, Wise Girl."

If it was possible, her face went redder. "It was nothing." She stood there, looking down at her shuffling feet. It was kind of awkward with her just standing there, all nervous. Knowing her, she probably had loads of questions.

"Annabeth." She flinched. My eyes narrowed at the demigoddess' action. Something's bothering her. "What is it? I know something's wrong."

"I-," she began but closed her mouth when she looked in the direction of the Athena table. I followed her gaze and saw that her siblings were frowning. She frowned at them and turned back to me with determination. Her attitude quickly changed from nervous to determined. "I wanted to ask you if you would meet me at the beach later."

My mouth was left slightly agape from surprise. "Erm, sure. What time?"

"After dinner, if you don't mind."

I smiled at her, my small fangs peeking through my lips. "Okay, see you later."

She smiled right back and left to her table.

Dinner continued for a few more minutes before I went ahead and walked to the beach.

* * *

I walked with my hands in my jean pockets and my tail swaying freely towards the beach. _'I wonder what Annabeth wants. She seemed pretty nervous. Is it because of what happened? Is she scared to approach me knowing I'm a demon?'_ I shook my head in refusal. _'Nonsense, she's not like that. She's a tough cookie, probably just wants to ask me questions like any normal child of Athena would.'_ I kept on walking on the sandy shores of the beach until I saw her a few feet away from me. She was sitting with her knees close to her chest facing the sea.

The wind made her hair sway and the moon's light illuminated her stormy-grey eyes. She looked absolutely stunning. "Hey," I said as I stood a few feet away. Her head snapped in my direction. "You wanted to see me?"

She seemed to snap out of whatever trance she was in as her slightly startled eyes steeled themselves. "Right," She patted the spot in the sand next to her. "Please sit." Which I did. She seemed to hesitate for a second before she continued. "I wanted some clarification if you don't mind." I nodded and motioned her to go ahead. Annabeth inhaled deeply – as if to prepare for something – and exhaled before asking her questions without skipping a single beat. "Are you really a demon? How old are you? What are all the other demons like? In Christian and Catholic texts along with other religious documents and demonologies, demons are often portrayed as evil and deceitful, is this true? Is Mephisto really your brother? He's the Demon King of Time, right? Also, who's the ninth son of Satan? When Mephisto was listing the names, I only noticed eight were–."

Annabeth would have continued if I hadn't covered her mouth with my hand. She mumbled in my palm for a few seconds before realizing it was there. She gave me a scalding glare, but I smiled right back at her.

I held up my pointer finger and counted off from there. "First off, yes, I am a demon. Second, I'm older than old, so let's move on. Third, Mephisto is my brother – second oldest – and yes he is the Demon King of Time and Space. Now, it kind of depends on who's King the demon belongs to, so I can't speak for all of them. But I will tell you this, not all of us Kings are kind or benevolent. Amaimon, for example. He's childishly insane and always shows it. He's very brash, and quite carefree, but hates losing and will go through anything to win. Even if it means killing someone. Samael would be considered a very…tricky being. He has this innate ability to act as if he knows more than he's letting on. He's careful and meticulous, like a chess player, always ahead of the game, so be careful around him. Of course, the Kings and their kin can differ greatly in personality as those lower in level are more or less violent, but it all still depends." I explained.

She nodded in understanding but raised her eyebrow in question. "What about you? What kind of King are you like?"

I imitated her position on the sand and stared out at the ocean, basking in the sound of the water flowing over the sand, and the salty scent of the sea. "I consider myself a just king, one who places the lives and interests of his subjects before his own. I also owe them a great deal for something that happened a long time ago." I wrapped my arms around my knees and looked at the sand near my feet. "I believe you heard about how Poseidon and I met, right?"

"Yah, you were captured by Oceanus and Poseidon and your people saved you," Annabeth stated.

"Exactly, but before that, the majority of my kin here in Assiah were killed and sent back to Gehenna. I was unable to save them, Annabeth, and it warmed my heart so much to learn that the survivors risked their lives to get me back."

"You must really care about them if you feel that way."

"Of course I do, they're like children to me. Birthed from our descendants and made into entire civilizations." I lifted my head back up and grinned at her. "Anyway, anything else you want to know?"

Annabeth smiled right back. "Yah, according to the prophecy, you and two others are involved. Have you thought of anything?"

I leaned my head to the side in a thoughtful manner. "Well, Sam and I kind of discussed it earlier, but we're still not sure what the lines mean. We know that the ninth son is in Japan, though. Apparently, I have a new sibling, well siblings. Rin and Yukio Okumura. Rin was the only one of the two who've shown any indication that he's Satan's son."

Annabeth hummed, "I see. I'll have to report this to Chiron during the next counselor meeting. We might have to have them come to camp to help us."

"Good idea. I think he'll even send a quest to Japan to retrieve Rin if the gods allow it. I'm kind of hoping to meet these new brothers of mine. Samael said that one of them is an exorcist, can you believe it? And here's the kicker, it was the youngest twin. The older one is enrolled in my brother's school to become one. Who'd have thought they'd get such strange ideas, like, who wants to become an _exorcist_?" I said but realized that I was going off on a tangent. "Sorry, I'm getting off track." I lied down on my back and stared up at the night sky. The curfew would start soon, so we'd have to leave before the harpies found us. "We should get going. Don't want the harpies to eat us."

"Or try to," She chuckled.

I sighed, pleased. "Or try to." My eyes widened, and I shot back up, startling Annabeth. I pushed myself in front of her in a flash with my hands shaking her shoulders back and forth. "Wait, you seem too calm with knowing any of this. Are you sure you're okay?"

Annabeth tried to speak, but my continual shaking didn't allow for the words to flow. She grabbed my wrists and tore my arms away. "Stop doing that. Yes, I'm fine!"

I sat there, shocked beyond belief. "So you're not scared of me?"

She chuckled out a no.

I grinned so wide, that I swear it would split my face in half if it were to widen. Quick as a bee, I lifted her off the sand in a hug and swung her around in circles. "Really? Yay!"

"Egyn!" She yelled in surprise.

I stopped and set her down onto her feet, my hands on her shoulders while still wearing my grin. "You're the best, you know that?" My tail was wagging excitedly like a dog getting ready to play. "No one's gonna ever be better than you, Wise Girl!"

Annabeth blushed at my words. It was the cutest thing. "Well, it wouldn't be the weirdest thing I've ever seen. If anything, it's ranked in my top ten, but not number one."

I scrunched my eyebrows. "What's your number one?" **(This is a moment in time where I realize that I dislike 1** **st** **person POV. I can't display other character's thoughts.)**

Annabeth looked at me seriously and spoke with an even tone. "Something that should never be discussed."

I raised my arms in surrender. "Alright, alright. I won't ask," I looked back up at the sky. "But we should be going back."

She looked up as well and deduced that I was right. We said our goodnights and left to our respective cabin.

I threw myself onto my bed and sighed, tail hanging limply off the edge. Today was a long day, and I just wanted some rest. It didn't take me long to succumb to the darkness of sleep, but my dreams were not black.

* * *

 _I opened my eyes to see that I was in a black-boned cradle. A black nursery mobile chandelier thing with a wooden skull, coal tar, leaper, and hobgoblin looming over me. I raised one of my hands and saw that it was small with black nails that barely reached the fingertips. It dawned on me that this was I in my younger years. The room I was in seemed to be the nursery in my father's palace._

 _There was the sound of a door opening and slamming shut, followed by grumbling. A very pale face appeared at the edge of the cradle. The face belonged to a man whose long white hair hung over his shoulders, and whose horns were wreathed in the blue flames of the King. There was no mistaking those cold blue eyes, much like the flames of their owner, and the long white tail that swayed from behind him. Standing before the cradle, staring down at me with blank eyes was Satan, the King of Gehenna. The same foolish being who declared war on the Almighty before the creation of Assiah._

 _Unwillingly, my arms raised towards his face. He offered me a clawed finger, which I took hold of in an iron grip. He didn't seem to care, though. Satan just looked down at me, but I could see the faintest of smiles on his lips. "You will be strong, I know it. I can already feel the strength to slaughter hordes single-handedly." He reached into the cradle with both hands and lifted me into his slender arms. Satan began to rock me around and humming a lullaby, like a caring father lulling his child to sleep._

 _My head moved to the side to see the rest of the room. It was rather large, with three other empty cradles, one in each corner. There was a furred carpet the shape of an ox and a rocking chair at the center. Parallel to the chair was a tall mirror facing Satan and I. I could see us in the reflection; Satan standing tall and proud with a baby in his arms. His tail swayed and blue fire flickered at the tuft. He wore black and blue robes that contrasted greatly with his skin and pure white boots, seemingly untouched by dirt and grime._

 _The baby in his arms was small and slightly chubby, with a tuft of black hair and a much shorter black tail compared to the father. There were no clothes on the child, so it remained as nude as the day it was born, as was custom in Gehenna to not dress an infant until it could walk properly. So that it wouldn't be hindered by the cloth when the child was to take its first steps._

 _My head turned back to his when I felt him jolt me a bit to adjust my place in his arms. I reached my arm to his nose with a coo. Satan grunted and adjusted me so that I was being supported in one arm while he used the other to play with me. He wagged his finger in front of my face and made circular motions so that I would follow. He pointed his index finger at me and a small spark of blue fire ignited, making me giggle and coo in amazement._

 _Satan chuckled and waved the flame in circles above my face. "I'll admit, you're kind of cute," I continued to giggle while my tiny hands reached to touch the blue light. Satan frowned at the display and put out the fire as quickly as it came. "But it won't be long before that innocence is replaced by damnation, as is normal in Gehenna for all demons to harden their hearts and fight each other for survival. No creature of this world has ever been left truly sane, and your time to join their ranks is nearer every minute." He shifted me again in his arms so that I was now held at his hip, parallel to his body. I had begun to cry when he put out the light, so he was bouncing me up and down in an effort to soothe my tears. "But worry not, for you will never live amongst the poor, and will forever know what satisfaction feels like. Never will you need to fight to survive, but you will rule your own kingdom with the pride and benevolence of a King. I've seen your future, my boy, and the road will be difficult, but it is also a pleasurable one."_

 _And I saw darkness once more._

* * *

There was a loud knocking on my door. I grumbled in my sleep, and burrowed my head under my pillow, trying, in vain, to muffle the disruptive noise.

The knocking quickly turned into banging, and there was panicked shouting at the other side. I sighed and got out of bed, lumbering my way to the door. I yawned and stretched my arms over my head, shirt riding up my stomach and tail fidgeting before I dropped my hands and opened the door.

I rubbed at my eyes as I spoke, voice hoarse from lack of use. "What?" I opened my eyes properly and gave a hard stare at a camper in full battle armor. She was short with brown hair and hazel eyes. She pointed a spear at me and glared. I raised an eyebrow at her, thoroughly unimpressed. I raised my finger and placed it at the edge of the sharp tip, slowly bringing it down as I spoke. "Why are you pointing that at me? Also," I scanned the surrounding area to see that there was no one else around. Weird. "Why are you dressed for battle?"

The girl's glare hardened. "You have visitors at the pine. Chiron sent me to get you."

"And you are?" I droned.

"Despina, daughter of Hebe."

"Right, so everyone's on the hill?" I said.

She merely nodded, and brought her weapon back up, pointing it towards my chest.

I sighed, still tired. "Let me guess, you don't like me very much."

"Not at all."

"May I inquire as to why…?" I motioned my hands in the _go on_ manner.

"Monsters killed my father, you're a demon, so you're also a monster." She growled, her glare intensifying.

"Racist," I mumbled.

"What?" She snapped.

"I said, racist," I said, now choosing to walk out the door and down the steps of the front porch.

Despina made a _grrr_ sound and poked my arm with the spear hard enough to feel a tingling sensation, but not hard enough to break the skin. I whipped my tail at her head. "Don't do that, Racist."

"I am not racist!" she argued.

"Yah you are. You said that you don't like monsters because they killed your dad, then you said that because I'm a demon that I'm a monster, thus making you a racist." We walked passed the cabins and made our way to the Big House. "You will now be christened Racist, as so sayeth the demon." I mocked.

"Oh just shut up!" she shouted, making my ears ring, but I ignored them and continued towards Thalia's Pine.

"Your wish is my command, Racist," I said calmly.

I could see in my peripheral vision that her face was red with anger and her nostrils were flaring. It was quite comical if I do say so myself.

"Egyn!"

I turned to the left to see Annabeth in her armor running towards us. I also took notice of all the other campers at the borderline, all in full battle regalia. This peaked my curiosity as to why everyone seemed to alert.

I waved at her half-heartedly. "Hey Annabeth, what's everyone doing?"

She stopped in front of me. "I don't know. Chiron just sounded the horn and I can't get past everyone to see what's going on. I asked around and the campers just said that there were these weird creatures at the edge of the forest."

I frowned. "Weird creatures, huh? Where's the old horse?"

Annabeth motioned to my right where I could see a crowd of demigods surrounding Chiron, seemingly asking him about what's going on. "He's over there. If I were you, I'd go and ask him about it."

I nodded and waved at her, but I didn't leave without one final thing to say to my "new BFF". I grinned mischievously at Despina. "Goodbye Racist. Thanks for the chat." And I ran off towards Chiron. I could faintly hear Annabeth questioning the daughter of Hebe about the nickname, and Despina ranting back at Annabeth about me being an evil monster and deigning her a new name just to spite her. Oh, how I just love messing with people.

I ran up to Chiron and pushed past the campers. "Chiron, what's going on?"

He noticed me right away and sighed in relief. "Egyn, you're awake. Perfect," He turned and addressed the surrounding campers. "Everyone, wait by the tree, please!" in which they listened, albeit reluctantly. He turned back to me, and draped his arm over my shoulder, leading me towards the tree. "Listen, there seem to be multiple unidentified creatures hiding in the forest and I was wondering if you may or may not be familiar with them. They haven't shown any signs of hostility, but I had the whole camp gear up just in case."

I nodded in understanding. "So you want me to find out who they are?"

"Yes. I'd hoped that you would know if they were residents of Gehenna like you and Mr. Pheles mentioned yesterday."

I dusted my hands. "Alrighty, then." And I jogged towards the border to get a closer look, pushing past campers to get to the front. Once at the front, I saw that there were a few campers with swords and spears guarding the tree, ready to attack anyone who posed a threat to Camp. I looked back at the forest and expanded my senses. I sensed about twenty or so different entities in the trees and behind bushes. Not taking another second, I launched into the air and landed three yards away from the tree line in a crouched position. I growled at the forest and made my tail sway slowly behind me. I also made my demonic features reappear.

The talking by the pine ceased at the sound of my growls. Everyone just watched as I confronted the possible threat.

My voice became deeper, more like a creature from the deepest pits of Hell. "Who are you? Show yourself!" The voice itself made the earth vibrate with every syllable.

I heard a small gasp from the trees and caught a glimpse of eyes widening before an octopus-like figure stepped out of a bush.

I immediately ceased my growls when I saw who it was. My scowl was replaced by an excited expression, and my tail began to wag in happiness.

"Lord Egyn?" said my most trusted general.

"Isamu!" I shouted, leaping towards him and tackling him in a long-overdue hug.

* * *

 **There we go! An update. So Percy (Egyn) is not going to be a god thanks to the combined efforts of multiple Guests and I think a few other users. I'll be updating soon, hopefully, my classes don't assign too much homework because I've been doing better with my grades (take that Chemistry! "B") and projects just make me cranky.**

 **Anywho, I'm not ofreakingk out!**


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